Umbrella frame



W. S. EVAN S UMBRELLA FRAME Nov. 4, 1947.

Filed March 6, 1944 I Patented Nov. 4, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UMBRELLA FRAME Application March 6, 1944, Serial No. 525,292 8 Claims. (01. 135-30) The object of the invention is to provide improvements in umbrella and parasol frames, reference being especially made to the wireless type of frame, wherein no wires are employed for pivotally securing the inner ends of the ribs and stretchers to the shaft, or to the usual notch and runner mounted thereon, so as to thereby produce a better structure at less cost, and at the same time one that is more easily repaired, as well as one in which thebreaking of a single hinge element, such as a wire, does not release all of the ribs or stretchers, as has heretofore usually been the case.

Another and more specific object is to provide in frames of this character, which will hereinafter he referred to generically as. umbrella frames, annular attaching members for subsequent mounting upon the umbrella shaft, each of said members comprising a pair of telescoping, cylindrical elements, provided with circumferentially spaced slots slidably receiving the radially inner ends of the ribs and stretchers, respectively, eachof said ends being provided upon its opposite sides with trunnions, the lateral overall width of which is greater than the width of said slots, and which trunnions extend transversely into recesses upon the opposite sides of each slot, to provide entirely independent pivotal connections between the respective ribs and stretchers on the one hand and the respective attaching elements on the other.

A further object is to provide in each cylindrical element in its final form the combination of a pair of telescoping tubular members, one of which is provided with a slotted L-shaped flange, and the other being provided with a planular slotted flange enclosing the space or spaces within the angle of said first flange, the slots of the two flanges being registered radially, and one of said flanges having finger-like portions between adjacent slots initially deflected, so as to permit the end portion of a rib orstretcher having oppositely directed trunnions or other form of pivotal attaching means to enter the space within said first flange, as the adjacent portion of the rib or stretcher enters a pair of aligned slots.

If the fingers of said first member are initially deflected, their free end portions are at first directed ang'ularly outwardly away from the axis of said member, and after the operation of placing the ribs or stretcher ends operatively with relation thereto, said fingers are bent so that together they form a cylindrical shape. By contrast, if the fingers of said second member are initially deflected, their free end portions are at first directed angularly, so that together they form a conical shape, and after the operative placing of the rib and stretcher ends with relation thereto, they are bent so as to lie in a common plane.

With the objects thus briefly set forth, the invention comprises further details of construction and operation, which are hereinafter fully brought out in the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view showing a rib and stretcher unit as it approaches to a receiving notch and another such unit operatively secured thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of a notch, a plurality of rib ends associated therewith and means for intermittently shifting said notch angularly in stepby-step motion; and Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional and elevational views showing a slightly modified form of sleeve or runner and a finger-setting tool in association therewith. Figs, 5 and 6 are sectional views of modifications of the notch.

Referring to the drawings, any well known form of umbrella rib unit is shown as comprising the usual. longer rib section I and a shorter stretcher section 2, one end of the latter being pivotally secured to a central portion of the former at 3, while the oppositely directed, transversely flattened ends 4 and 5 of said rib and stretcher, respectively, are provided with oppositely directed trunnions B and 1.

A plurality of these units in angular form, as shown in Fig. 1, are fed either singly and manually, or automatically from a hopper or the like (not shown), so that their trunnioned end portions are brought into operative relation with a properly positioned notch and runner, as indicated in Fig. 1.

Notch 29 and runner 30 are in general of similar shape, except that the latter is preferably somewhat longer, and is provided with the customary slot, through which extends a latch for holding the ribs in close position with respect to the shaft, when the finished umbrella is not in use. Otherwise, being of the same construction, said notch and runner are described by the same numerals, and generally referred to as sleeves or notches.

Each notch (or runner) comprises an inner cylindrical member 32, one end of which terminates in spaced fingers 33, which are initially deflected angularly outwardly (Fig. 1), and which, when finallybent into a common plane perpendicular to their common axis, provide intervening spaces or slots 34 for the reception of the fiattened end portions 4 and 5 of the ribs and stretchers when in parallel relation with each other and with the shaft which a plurality of said rib units surround.

Each notch also comprises an outer cylindrical member 35, one end of which terminates in a peripheral flange 36, inwardly turned to restrain the inner member 32 against movement in one direction therethrough, while the opposite end of said outer member is directed outwardly to join a planular flange 37, which is characterized by a circumferentially extending series of spaced fingers 38, angularly deflected so that their end portions are cylindrically related and. providing between them spaces or slots 39 for similar reception of the flattened end portions of said ribs and stretchers between them.

As seen in Fig. 1, there is thus formed an annular channel, which except for said slots, is enclosed by the inner member 32, its fingers 33, the flange 31, and its fingers 38-. The essential function of this channel is that it provides the equivalent of a pair of recesses upon the opposite sides of each pair of aligned slots 34 and 39-, for the reception of the oppositely directed trunnions carried by the flattened endportion of the rib or stretcher positioned in the intervening slots.

By referring to Figs. 3 and 4, aslightly modified form of notch and runner construction is shown, in which the fingers 4| of the inner cylindrical member d2 are from the start directed outwardly in a common plane, while the fingers 43 of the flange M" of the outer member 45 are initially positioned angularly and subsequently bent into a common cylindrical position by a vertically reciprocatory die 46, following the insertion of the rib-and-stretcher units as hereinbefore described.

The notch of Fig. 5 comprises an inner cylindrical member 41, having angularly directed fingers 58 extending in a common plane, while an outer cylindrical member 39. terminates initially in outwardly directed angularly bent fingers 59, which following the entrance of the rib or stretcher trunnions in the annular recess 5|, are bent into the retaining position shown at 52. By contrast the notch shown in Fig. 6 comprises but a single cylinderical member 53, which is crimped in any suitable manner, so as to provide an annular flange 54, while the adjacent end of said member terminates in outwardly directed angularly formed fingers 55, which initially extend diagonally outwardly, but following the entrance of the trunnioned ends of stretchers or ribsv in the annular space 56, are bent into the retaining position shown at 51.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An umbrella frame, comprising a rib and a stretcher pivotally secured together to form a unit, the normally oppositely directed end portions of said rib and stretcher unit being provided with laterally projecting trunnions, a notch and a runner, each comprising a cylindrical portion,.

a pair of fixedly spaced flanges carried thereby and provided with circumferentially spaced slots, and spaced bendable fingers connecting the edge portions of said flanges, said slots and the spaces between said fingers of saidnotch and runner respectively slidably receiving the associated end. of said rib and said stretcher, and spaces between said flanges pivotally receiving said trunnions.

2. An umbrella frame, comprisin-ga rib and a stretcher pivotally secured together to form a unit, the normally oppositely directed end portions of each of said rib and stretcher unit being provided with a pair of laterally projecting trunnions, a notch and a runner, each comprising a cylindrical portion, a pair of fixedly spaced flanges carried thereby and provided with circumferentially spaced slots, and spaced bendable fingers connecting the edge portions of said flanges, said slots and the spaces between said fingers of said notch and runner respectively slidably receiving the associated end of said rib and said stretcher, and the circumferentially extendingspace between said flanges pivotally receiving said trunnions.

3. An umbrella frame, comprising a rib and a stretcher pivotally secured together to form a unit, the normally oppositely directed end portions of said rib and stretcher unit being transversely reduced and provided with oppositely directed, laterally extending trunnions, a notch and a runner, each comprising telescoped cylindrical members carrying fixedly spaced, substantially parallel flanges, a series of spaced bendable fingers carried by one of said flanges and substantially enclosing an annular space between said flanges, the other of said flanges having slots in alignment with the spaces between said fingers and respectively slidably receiving the associated end of said rib and said stretcher, while said trunnions extend into said space to form pivotal connections between the associated rib and said notch and between said stretcher and said runner;

4. An umbrella frame, comprising a rib and a stretcher pivotally secured together to form a unit, the normally oppositely directed end portions of said rib and stretcher unit being transversely reduced and provided with oppositely directed, laterally extending trunnions, a notch and a runner, each comprising telescoped cylindrical members carrying fixedly spaced, substantially parallel bendable flanges, anextension of one of said flanges spanning the annular space between said flanges, circumferentially spaced slots piercing the walls of said space and slidably receivin the associated ends of said rib and stretcher, while said trunnions extend into said space t form pivotal connections between said rib and said sleeve and between saidstretcher and said runner;

5. An umbrella frame, comprising a tubular element composed of a pair of telescoped tubular members, one end of one of said members having a, flange engaging the other member to limit relative movement in one direction, the opposite ends of said members carrying spaced, outwardly directed flanges, one of which carries a substantially cylindrical extension that spans the annular space between said flanges, the Walls of said space being provided with circumferentially spaced slots, and a rib or spacer having a reduced end slidably positioned in one of said slots and oppositely directed'trunnions extending intolsaid space.

6. In an umbrella, units comprising ribs and stretchers provided with trunnions, a notch and runner, eachv frame comprising a pair of telescoped cylindrical; members, one of which is provided upon one end with a radially extending, angularly shaped flange, and the other member being spaced from said first flange to provide a trunnion-receiving space, and provided with a flange that is directed angularly outwardly away from said first flange, said last-mentioned flange being bendable into a position adjacent to the end portion of said first flange to retain a trunnion of one of said units in said space.

'7. In an umbrella, units comprising ribs and stretchers provided with trunnions, a notch and runner, each frame comprising a pair of telescoped cylindrical members, one of which is provided with a planular flange, and the other being provided with a flange spaced from said first flange and terminating in an angularly related portion spaced from said first flange, and said terminal portion being bendable into a position adjacent to the end portion of said first flange to retain a trunnion of one of said units in said space.

8. In an umbrella frame, a notch or runner,

comprising a cylindrical member having a radially outwardly crimped portion to provide a radial flange spaced from one end, and the adjacent end of said member beingtprovided with an initially diagonally outwardly extending angular .6 flange, said last mentioned flange being bendable into a position relatively close to said first flange to retain between them the trunnions of a rib or stretcher.

WAYNE S. EVANS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Keller Jan. 18, 1944 

